Nancy Naylor served in the Ontario Public Service for over 35 years. She served as the Deputy Minister of Education for five years, and also served in leadership roles in the Ministries of Health, Finance and Colleges and Universities. Her roles included leading major projects in funding, labour relations, infrastructure, information technology and public policy. Ms. Naylor holds degrees from McMaster University and Carleton University and has served on a number of other boards, including the Public Policy Forum.

Jean M. Twenge, Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University, is the author of more than 190 scientific publications and seven books, including 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World and Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future. She holds a BA and MA from the University of Chicago and a PhD from the University of Michigan. She writes the Generation Tech Substack.

Dr. Eyal Cohen is a Professor of Pediatrics and Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. Dr. Cohen co-founded the Complex Care Program with his colleagues in the Division of Paediatric Medicine at The Hospital for Sick Children where he practices clinical pediatrics. His research program focuses on the health outcomes of children with complex needs and their families and child health policy. He is as Senior Scientist and Program Head in Child Health Evaluative Sciences in the SickKids Research Institute, with scientific cross-appointments at the CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research at McMaster University and at ICES.

Dr. Ronald Cohn has served as President and CEO of the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Canada since May 1, 2019. Cohn joined SickKids in September 2012 as the Chief of the Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, Co-Director of the Centre for Genetic Medicine, and Senior Scientist at the SickKids Research Institute. He became the Inaugural Women’s Auxiliary Chair in Clinical and Metabolic Genetics in April of 2013, and joined the department of Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto. In 2016 he was appointed to the position of Chief of Paediatrics at SickKids, and Chair of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto.

Cohn received his medical degree from the University of Essen, Germany. After his postdoctoral fellowship at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in the laboratory of Dr. Kevin Campbell, he moved to Baltimore where he was the first combined resident in paediatrics and genetics at the Johns Hopkins University. He subsequently joined the faculty of the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine at Johns Hopkins where he became the director of the worlds' first multidisciplinary centre for Hypotonia, which has earned national and international recognition. Dr. Cohn was also the director of the medical genetics residency program at Johns Hopkins.

Dr. Astrid Guttmann is a staff physician and senior scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children, senior scientist and chief science officer at ICES, and a professor of paediatrics with a cross-appointment in the Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. She holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in child health service and policy, and has expertise in the use of population-based administrative data and observational methods to evaluate health systems and policies with a focus on equity. Current work includes a focus on the impact of COVID-19 on immigrant and refugee children and families, an evaluation of Canadian refugee re-settlement models and long-term health and social outcomes, and multiple projects related to mental health and addictions including the impact of prenatal opioid use in First Nations communities.

Ashna Ali is a Toronto-based strategist with a background in storytelling and community engagement. Inspired by the power of narratives to create lasting change, she has spearheaded national and global programs advancing equity-focused policies, including advocacy for LGBTQIA+ rights, women’s participation in peace processes, and greater representation in Canada’s elected bodies.

Dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices, Ashna’s work blends storytelling, digital innovation, and accessible design—spanning course creation, gamification, and interactive tools—to inspire collective action. At The Dais, she contributes to the Screen Break initiative, Canada’s first national program supporting mobile-free classrooms, where she brings her love for relationship-building, inclusive facilitation, and systems thinking to foster healthier digital habits.

Ruth Blackburn, MSc, PhD is a Senior Research Fellow in Public Health Data Science at the University College London. Her work uses electronic health records and administrative data for public health research and evaluation.

Carol-Ann Burke is Associate Professor of Science Education in the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto. Her research focuses on equity issues in science education where she takes a community-based approach to exploring the factors that marginalize youth from engagement with science education in both formal and informal settings. Prior to becoming a researcher, she worked for 15 years as a full-time science teacher. She is committed to supporting educators as they pursue the development of meaningful and relevant educational experiences for all learners.

Dr. Andi Camden is an Epidemiologist and Senior Research Associate at the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Children at the Hospital for Sick Children, as well as an ICES Fellow. She holds both a PhD and MPH in Epidemiology from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, where she also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Health & Society. Dr. Camden has received doctoral awards and fellowships from CIHR, SickKids, and the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on leveraging administrative data to explore the impact of opioids during pregnancy on maternal and child health across the life course. She is currently leading the Canadian Perinatal Opioid Project alongside Dr. Astrid Guttmann and Dr. Hilary Brown. This initiative, funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada, aims to establish a pan-Canadian health data system to monitor perinatal opioid use and associated health outcomes across Canada.

Wenonah Campbell is the John and Margaret Lillie Chair in Childhood Disability Research and an Associate Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University. A Scientist at CanChild Centre for Childhood-Onset Disability Research, Dr. Campbell leads an interdisciplinary research team dedicated to optimizing health support services in schools to enhance inclusion, participation, and engagement in learning for all children. Her work prioritizes building partnerships across education and health sectors, employing varied research methods to create inclusive, effective service delivery models, with a strong commitment to knowledge mobilization to ensure impacts on practice and policy.

Eldan Cohen is an Assistant Professor of Industrial Engineering at The University of Toronto and the director of the Optimization and Machine Learning (OptiMaL) Lab. His research interests include machine and deep learning, heuristic search and optimization, and natural language processing, with an emphasis on human compatible approaches. In addition, he has worked on applications of these techniques in various domains such as healthcare, manufacturing, and autonomous agents. He completed his PhD at the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto and was a postdoctoral fellow at the department of Computer Science and the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence.

André (he/him) has worked in a variety of roles at the intersection of policy, higher education and tech. As mission-driven consultant, offering strategic advice, research and other services to a range of clients. As senior advisor to Ontario’s deputy premier and minister of advanced education and skills development, and for digital government services. As chief operating & strategy officer with NEXT Canada, a national non-profit incubator for entrepreneurs and start-ups. As ed tech innovator, developing the Dive: Student Aid digital case learning model with TMU’s Leadership Lab and other partners. And as a director on the Board of eCampus Ontario.

Guneet is a dynamic student leader who believes that thoughtful phone restriction policies can help create a more focused, respectful, and mentally present school environment. As a Screen Break Youth Champion, she’s passionate about sparking open conversations around digital habits and encouraging a balance between connection and concentration. Guneet appreciates the nuance of maintaining access to phones for safety while minimizing distractions during learning hours. She aims to bridge gaps between students, educators, and families by facilitating meaningful dialogue about technology’s role in mental health and academic success.

Guneet brings a wealth of experience to this role. She’s the founder and host of “yapitout”, a global teen mental health podcast on Spotify, a STEAM and robotics instructor, and a soccer coach. She also serves as an executive event coordinator for one of her school’s largest clubs, and is involved in theatre and school photography. Across these roles, she has developed strong communication, public speaking, and event planning skills. Guneet is excited to use her platform to lead impactful initiatives that promote digital well-being and inspire her school community to rethink their relationship with technology.

Stephanie Donaldson has served as OPSBA’s Executive Director since 2022. As a former elected school board trustee with the Toronto DSB, a member of OPSBA’s Executive Council, and Vice-Chair of the Toronto Board of Health, Stephanie works to safeguard and enhance the education and well-being of young people and their families and communities. Prior to becoming a trustee, she held executive roles in the Ontario Public Service, including at the Ministry of Education where she led the transformation of the education sector’s collective bargaining system. She is a graduate of the Rotman Public Service Leadership Institute and holds a Master's degree from the National University of Ireland. Whether it is advocating for a stronger and more equitable education system, re-imagining public policy and delivery, or working towards more healthy, liveable and just communities, she leads with heart and a trusted voice.

Kelly Gallagher-Mackay is a lawyer and Associate Professor of Law and Society with a PhD in Education Policy from OISE/UToronto. She has worked in diverse roles that combine education, law and public policy. These include serving as the Director of Research and Evaluation for the Future Skills Centre and Director of Research for People for Education, and co-founder and Northern Director of Akitsiraq Law School in Nunavut. Her research focuses on educational inequalities, particularly issues of systemic discrimination, and the intersection of learning and well-being. She is currently co-director of a new pan-Canadian school survey as well as the author of two books and many reports, including the brief on Educational Impacts of COVID-19 for the Ontario Science Table.

Ruth Gilbert is a clinical epidemiologist, who trained in paediatrics. Much of her research uses de-identified, administrative data to address clinical and policy questions related to the health of children and families. Her research uses record linkage to consider health, social and educational trajectories of children from birth to adulthood and to incorporate information from parents and siblings. Ruth co-directs the NIHR Children and Families Policy Research Unit which conducts research to inform the Department of Health and Social Care and related government bodies. She was a founder contributor to the ECHILD database (Education and Child Health Insights from Linked Data) and works with researchers using linked educational, hospitalisation and social care data for all children in England to assess health-related determinants and outcomes across the life course and from mother to child(ren). She leads the NIHR-funded HOPE Study which uses ECHILD to evaluate the impact of special educational needs provision on health and education outcomes. She established linked de-identified health data to public law, family court administrative records on women involved in court proceedings in England. She is involved in the HDRUK Social and Environmental Determinants of Health Driver Programme which aims to link household information on the social and physical environment health-related administrative and cohort data.

Professor Sharon Goldfeld is a paediatrician and Director, Centre for Community Child Health (CCCH) the Royal Children’s Hospital, Co-Group leader of Policy and Equity, and Theme Director, Population Health at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. She has a decade of experience in state government as a senior policymaker in health and education including Principal Medical Advisor in the Victorian Department of Education and Training. Her research program is made up of complementary, synergistic and cross-disciplinary streams of work focused on investigating, testing and translating sustainable policy relevant solutions that eliminate inequities for Australia’s children. As an experienced policymaker, public health and paediatric researcher she aims to ensure ongoing effective, rapid translation of research into the policy and service arena.

As a parent and advocate, Dr Taryn Graham recently led a grassroots effort—alongside a dedicated group of parents—to bring the Unplugged Canada pledge to her child’s school, an initiative that sparked Childhood Mental Health Week and continues to inform ongoing collaboration with the school on a digital citizenship policy. At the heart of Taryn’s work is a commitment to advancing health and reducing inequities. An award-winning researcher, speaker, and educator, she holds a PhD in Public Health, a postdoc in Social Work, and now works to strengthen early literacy outcomes for children across Canada—grounded in evidence, equity, and authentic partnerships.

Dr. Charlotte Moore Hepburn is a faculty paediatrician in the Division of Paediatric Medicine at the Hospital for Sick Children, an Associate Professor of Paediatrics in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto School of Medicine and an Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (iHPME) at the University of Toronto. Dedicated to a career combining clinical care with health system advocacy, she has held several leadership roles both in government and at national non-governmental organizations in both Canada and the United States. She now proudly serves as the inaugural Medical Lead for the Child Health Policy Accelerator at the Hospital for Sick Children, Canada’s first hospital-based applied child and youth health and social policy initiative dedicated to closing the gap between what we know is effective in optimizing paediatric outcomes and what we do to attend to the needs of young people in the public policy space

Dr. Jennifer Hove is the Director of Data and Reporting at EQAO, Ontario’s large-scale educational assessment agency. As a leader in educational measurement and assessment, Jennifer has expertise in academia, government and the K-12 education sector producing actionable insights to help drive educational improvement. She has over two decades of experience leading high-performing data science, psychometric and research teams, driving digital transformation and creating innovative data and reporting systems. Jennifer and her colleagues at EQAO are two-time winners at the International e-Assessment Awards, having received the 2025 Best Research award and the 2024 Best Practitioners of the Year award.

Patrick Ip, MD, MPH, is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the University of Hong Kong. His research interests lie in child health and developmental behavioral paediatrics, specifically, working with disadvantaged pediatric populations to ensure equal access to high-quality early childhood development and early learning opportunities.

Eunice Eunhee Jang is a Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development at OISE/UT. She obtained her PhD with specializations in language testing, educational measurement and program evaluation. Currently, her federally funded research projects focus on developing a dynamic assessment system that provides interactive digital interfaces for students, parents, and teachers to support struggling readers’ cognitive, metacognitive, and affective growth.

Dr. Magdalena Janus earned a PhD in behavioural sciences from Cambridge University. Her doctoral research involved studying the nature of relationships among young human and non-human primates. Subsequently, she was a post-doctoral fellow and research associate at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, before joining the McMaster faculty in 2002. Since joining the Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University in 1997, Dr. Janus, together with the late Dr. Dan Offord, has been involved in a community-linked project (School Readiness to Learn Project) developing a measure of children’s readiness to learn at school entry, called the Early Development Instrument (EDI). The focus of this research is to provide communities with the information that will inform them about the state of early childhood development and provide a tool for mobilization of resources and monitoring over time. Magdalena and her team have now supported the implementation of the EDI for over 1,500,000 children in Canada, and its adaptation in over a dozen international sites, including developed as well as developing countries, e.g., Australia, USA, Sweden, Brazil, Peru, and Jordan. Magdalena’s research interests include indicators of early child development and their correlates in population and international contexts, social determinants of children’s health, transition to school, with a particular emphasis on children with special needs.

Dr. Jennifer Jenkins is the Atkinson Chair of Early Child Development & Education at the University of Toronto. Jenkins is internationally known for her research on the family processes that promote lifelong learning and mental health in young children, as well as the study of resilience amongst siblings for children living in high-risk environments. She runs the Kids, Families, Places Study, a birth-cohort, longitudinal study of 500 children, their older siblings and parents, followed into middle childhood. She carries out intervention studies in the home and childcare environments to improve children’s experiences in close relationships. She does meta-analytic studies to synthesize intervention and observational findings about children’s close relationships. She works with statisticians to improve statistical models for analyzing family data. She is currently collaborating with governments and NGOs to offer online training that works to enhance parent and sibling responsivity in low-income settings.

Robert S. Kahn, MD, MPH, is a general pediatrician and child health researcher. Dr. Kahn's main interest lies at the intersection of poverty and child health, trying to understand what leads to worse health among poor children, and where me might intervene most effectively. He focuses on the most common pediatric conditions such as asthma and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). His work includes both NIH-funded research, but also a focus on building practical collaborations with the most effective community agencies.

Dr. Michele Locke is a parent (to a 6 year old and 3 year old) and a registered clinical psychologist specializing in child, adolescent, and parenting psychology. As a parent to young kids being raised in a tech advanced world, Michele is focused on being active in her community as a parent advocate to delay smartphone and social media introduction as a broader initiative to bring childhood back to a place of freedom, play, connection, and safety. Michele was among a group of pioneer parents to bring Unplugged Canada to her children’s west end public school. Since that time, she has petitioned and applied through the TDSB for formal partnership between Unplugged and the TDSB, in an effort to broaden the pledges reach. She has also co-founded the Unplugged Canada Toronto Chapter. Michele believes that community-based change and collective action is the path forward in terms of returning to a baseline of healthy children. Michele is invigorated by connecting with like-minded parents dedicated to creating spaces for kids to thrive in the real world, and allowing children the freedom to learn and grow with their peers and caregivers.

Gwendolyn Moncrieff-Gould is the Policy Lead for Child Health Policy Accelerator at SickKids. Previously, she worked as the Director, Public Policy and Engagement with BGC Canada (formerly the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada), and in a variety of roles with Universities Canada. She has also worked in policy development for the water sector with the MacEachen Institute at Dalhousie University. Originally from Toronto, Gwendolyn also holds a Combined Honours Degree in Political Science and Contemporary Studies from the University of King’s College.

Naho Morisaki leads the Department of Social Medicine at National Center for Child Health and Development in Japan and was the Chief of Division of Life-course Epidemiology from 2015 to 2020. She is a perinatal and paediatric epidemiologist whose research focuses on the role of the fetal and early life environment in influencing health status in childhood and adolescent/adulthood. Her research includes investigation of the reasons for the rise in low birthweight births in Japan since the 1980s, featured in Science, which led to the recent revision of gestational weight gain guidelines in Japan.

Liola Mytkolli is a Grade 12 IB student based in Ottawa with a strong passion for advocacy, science, and youth engagement. She currently serves as a content coordinator with the Young Canadian Roundtable on Health, where she helps lead national campaigns focused on health equity, responsible technology use, and chronic illness awareness. Drawing from personal experiences supporting peers with Type 1 diabetes, she is especially committed to promoting inclusive school environments where students who rely on technology for medical or accessibility reasons feel supported. As a Screen Break Youth Champion, she is excited to help students build healthier digital habits while advocating for tech policies grounded in empathy, education, and equity.

Michal Perlman is a Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development at OISE, University of Toronto. She is the current director of the Dr. R.G.N. Laidlaw Research Centre at the Jackman Institute for Child Studies at OISE.

Michal studies issues related to quality in early childhood education and care (ECEC) including how it should be defined and measured as well as the links between different aspects of ECEC program quality and child outcomes. She has worked with different levels of government to explore how ECEC quality measurement can be used for monitoring and quality improvement purposes. She also studies parenting and family environments and their effects on childhood development.

Michal has published in a variety of peer-reviewed journals and practitioner/policy-oriented outlets. Her research has been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the McCain Foundation among other government organizations and foundations.

Amie Presley is a Senior Research Coordinator at the Toronto District School Board with over 15 years of experience in applied K–12 education research. Her work includes managing external research partnerships and research ethics reviews, overseeing system-wide data collection initiatives such as the Student Census, which gathers identity-based data and student learning experience, supporting community-based policy and program consultations, as well as system and Board reporting requirements. She is currently a visiting Scholar at York University with the Faculty of Education and pursuing a PhD at the University of Guelph in the Faculty of Social Practice and Transformational Change.

Timothy Ross, PhD, RPP, is a Scientist and Director of the Engagement & Planning for Inclusive Communities Lab (EPIC Lab) within the Bloorview Research Institute at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto, Canada. He is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography & Planning and the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute at the University of Toronto. Tim’s research is focused on understanding the experiences and critical perspectives of families living with childhood disability and using their input to help advance more accessible, inclusive, and diverse communities. His research examines a range of topics, including inclusive play, transportation and mobility, education access, pediatric health care access, housing, and institutional ableism. Questions about experiences of disability, the normalcy of ableism, and how they relate to the planning and design of our built environments, services, and systems are central to Tim’s research. Tim holds a PhD in Planning from the University of Toronto and is a Registered Professional Planner.

Dr. Michelle Science is an Academic Clinician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Hospital for Sick Children and an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto. Since 2012, she has been the Medical Advisor for Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) and the co-lead of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) at SickKids. She has an MSc in Health Research Methodology from McMaster University and her research is focused in the areas of infection prevention and control and antimicrobial stewardship.

Professor Sellen’s core interest is understanding how the evolved feeding and care needs of human infants and young children can be met in today’s rapidly changing world. His theoretical work has explored the relevance of concepts and theories in human ecology, evolutionary biology and medical anthropology to global public health efforts to optimize young child feeding and care practices. He currently leads or contributed to several global health research partnerships that apply implementation science techniques to develop and test community-level innovations to protect, support and strengthen nutrition and care of infants, children and vulnerable caregivers, primarily in low income countries. Recently funded projects focus on gender oriented and pro-poor innovation, design, implementation and evaluation of programs aimed at healthy infant and young child feeding, smallholder value chain addition for nutrition security, and mHealth capacitation of maternal, neonatal and child health extension. He has also initiated studies of food insecurity and child nutrition among refugees in Britain, America and Canada.

Ellie Adler is Director of Partnership & Operations at the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Children and the Child Health Policy Accelerator at The Hospital for Sick Children. She drives strategic growth and impact by building meaningful partnerships locally, nationally and internationally. With training in epidemiology, program evaluation, and knowledge translation, she is committed to bridging research, healthcare, and policy to advance healthier futures for children. She holds a BSc in Psychology from York University and an MSc in Community Health and Epidemiology from the University of Saskatchewan.

Dr. Catherine S. Birken is a general paediatrician in the Division of Paediatric Medicine, Professor at the University of Toronto (U of T), and a Senior Scientist in Child Health Evaluative Sciences at SickKids Research Institute. She is a paediatrician in inpatient paediatrics and a paediatrician in the Healthy Living Clinic for children with complex obesity. Dr. Birken's research is in prevention of childhood overweight and obesity in early childhood, and is co-leader of TARGet Kids! primary care, practice-based research network to advance child health research. Dr. Birken is funded by CIHR for the study of obesity and cardiometabolic risk and early childhood development in school, randomized controlled trials in obesity prevention and treatment with public health nurse led parenting intervention, and a population evaluation of the Healthy Kids Community Challenge in Ontario. She is leading a new CIHR funded study on preconception health in women and their partners and the impact on child growth and development, and is co-PI on HeLTI Canada, a large randomized controlled trial in women and their partners starting in preconception, part of the HELTI initiative.

Natasha completed a Bachelor of Kinesiology degree at the University of Toronto and MSc degree in Health Promotion at Queen’s University. Working as a Clinical Research Project Manager in the Orkin Lab at The Hospital for Sick Children has shaped her understanding of the challenges faced by youth with medical complexity and their families during the transition process from paediatric to adult health care systems. Eager to enhance transition supports and standards for this population, she is currently pursuing PhD studies in Health Systems Research at the University of Toronto under the co-supervision of Dr. Eyal Cohen and Dr. Julia Orkin.

Francine Buchanan is Senior Manager of Patient, Family & Community Engagement at The Hospital for Sick Children, a Project Investigator at the Research Institute, and an Associate Professor at IHPME. She works to embed patient, family, and community voices into child health care, ensuring lived experiences drive meaningful change. Francine brings personal and professional insight as a parent of a child with complex medical needs, a health researcher, and a former strategy consultant.

Dr. Eyal Cohen is a Professor of Pediatrics and Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. Dr. Cohen co-founded the Complex Care Program with his colleagues in the Division of Paediatric Medicine at The Hospital for Sick Children where he practices clinical pediatrics. His research program focuses on the health outcomes of children with complex needs and their families and child health policy. He is as Senior Scientist and Program Head in Child Health Evaluative Sciences in the SickKids Research Institute, with scientific cross-appointments at the CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research at McMaster University and at ICES.

Dr. Sloane Freeman is a full-time pediatrician at St. Michael’s Hospital’s Inner City Health Program and an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. She has worked as a General Pediatrician in downtown Toronto since 2008 with particular expertise in social pediatrics, developmental/school issues and care of the medically complex child. Dr. Freeman is the founder and lead for the Model Schools Pediatric Health Initiative (MSPHI), a program developed in partnership with the Toronto District School Board to bring health care to inner city schools. This innovative health care delivery model focuses on developmental and mental health care for students who face barriers to accessing health care and is the first of its kind in Canada. Dr. Freeman is also the primary investigator for the Feasibility Study on the Model Schools Pediatric Health Initiative, the first study published in Canada to evaluate school-based health care. Dr. Freeman is currently leading the first randomized controlled study examining school-based health care in Canada. Her groundbreaking work and research in the area of school-based health care has made her a Canadian leader in this field.

Dr. Astrid Guttmann is a staff physician and senior scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children, senior scientist and chief science officer at ICES, and a professor of paediatrics with a cross-appointment in the Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. She holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in child health service and policy, and has expertise in the use of population-based administrative data and observational methods to evaluate health systems and policies with a focus on equity. Current work includes a focus on the impact of COVID-19 on immigrant and refugee children and families, an evaluation of Canadian refugee re-settlement models and long-term health and social outcomes, and multiple projects related to mental health and addictions including the impact of prenatal opioid use in First Nations communities.

Priscilla Medeiros is the Knowledge Mobilization and Community Engagement Specialist at the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Children. She holds a PhD in Medical Anthropology from McMaster University and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Women’s College Hospital. With over a decade of experience in community-engaged research and knowledge mobilization, she now leads education and training initiatives that help researchers, staff, and trainees embed patient and community engagement into their work.

Dr. Ripudaman Singh Minhas is a Developmental Paediatrician and Director of Pediatric Research at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto. His research interests are in the development, behaviour, disability, and rehabilitation of children in urban settings and in newcomer immigrant and refugee families. He is currently working to develop interventions to support the developmental potential of children in the unique context of their social determinants of health and inequity. His team uses Community-Based Participatory Research principles to guide the co-creation and implementation of family-based interventions and the evolution of health systems.

Dr. Ashley Vandermorris is a Staff Paediatrician in the Division of Adolescent Medicine at SickKids, co-lead of the Fraser Mustard Institute for Human Development Policy Bench within the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Children, and a member of the SickKids Centre for Global Child Health. Dr. Vandermorris completed her undergraduate degree at Yale University, her medical degree at Harvard Medical School, a residency in Paediatrics and fellowships in Adolescent Medicine and Global Child Health at SickKids, and an MSc in Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at U of T.

As an Adolescent Medicine physician, Dr. Vandermorris is committed to championing the ideals of accessibility, advocacy, equity, justice and collaboration as the fundamental tenets that will enable improved health outcomes for youth. Clinically, Dr. Vandermorris co-leads the Gender Care Clinic and works in the Young Families Program and the Adolescent Medicine Consult Service within the Division of Adolescent Medicine, where her clinical focus is on supporting youth navigating the intersections of structural and social determinants of health to achieve healthy developmental trajectories.

Dr. Susitha Wanigaratne is a Senior Research Associate at the Leong Centre for Healthy Children and a social epidemiologist. Her work examines im/migration as a social and structural determinant of health. She strives to harness the power of administrative health and social data to contribute to and help facilitate positive social change which improves the health and well-being of minoritized communities.
She holds a PhD in Epidemiology and a Masters of Health Science from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.